Howl Rewritten
by brightglo
Summary: Naomi moves back to La Push after a tragic accident  leaves her father and uncle dead. The details are murky about what actually happened and Naomi is going to do whatever she can to get to the bottom of this. Even if the whole pack stands in her way.
1. Chapter 1

**It's been a long time coming but I've finally got up the strength to do this. I've been toying around with the idea for months, writing and rewriting and I feel as if this was the best decision. If you guys don't like it , tell me and I'll scrap this story for good. This is Howl, rewritten and hopefully better. **

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><p>It has been two months since I received the news and I still hadn't come to terms with his death. It was like being hit in the face with a brick, it stunned and shocked me. My nerves froze and I became numb to everything in the world. But like a light switch, it changed. My numbness was replaced with burning rage and confusion, fueled by the suspicion surrounding his death. I knew it was a lie, all of it. A hunting accident, my ass. If it was simply a hunting accident, how coincidental was that Harry died too.<p>

I knew they were lying, something just wasn't right. The timing, the place, the accident; all of it was wrong. But why would they lie to me? What could they be covering up? What was so secretive that they would lie to me of all people?

So that's why I'm making this trip, I have to know the real story. I need to now what happened to my father.

This was probably the longest trip I've ever made. MapQuest said 16 hours but 3 gas stops, food and sleep breaks had but the total well over a day. I should've just taken a freaking plane for this crap. Hell, if I had ran the whole way I would've got here earlier. But I'm sure that'll raise too many questions.

I reached over to the passenger seat to scour through the groceries I was smart enough to pick up. I smiled once my hand landed on what I was searching for...Sun Chips. Oh these babies were a freaking godsend to me. I would eat any flavor but the harvest cheddar was too damn good for words. I opened them with one hand and sat the bag between my legs so I could focus back on the road. It wasn't like I would crash anyway; my reflexes were like a fucking cat on steroids.

As my eyes turned back up to the road, my heart stopped in my chest. There standing in the middle of the road was a woman. Her skin was pale as death contrasting dramatically with her waist-length red hair. She stared back at me like she could see right into my soul and her lips curled back into a vicious smile. My foot slammed hard on the brakes to keep from running her over, my tires screeched loudly in protest. And if I wasn't gripping the steering wheel for dear life, I would've flown right through my windshield.

Picking my jaw off the dash and ungluing my ass from the seat, I ran out to see if I had somehow hit the girl. There was nothing there. No sign that she even was there at all. She had disappeared entirely. And I didn't believe in ghosts, so either I'm finally going crazy or that woman had actually been there and somehow had escaped the wrath of my car. It wasn't possible for someone to move that fast, to disappear into then air without a trace like that.

I brushed the whole incident off with a dry laugh and blamed it on my lack of sleep. But I looked around just in case some shit was about to pop out the bushes. I'm paranoid as hell.

Walking back to my car, I was trying to overlook this little hallucination and focus on the reason why I'm back in Washington. _Father, lies, cover-up, family._ A chilly wind crept out of the trees, rustling my already unruly hair. I raised my hand to brush it out of my face when it hit me. My stomach heaved and I felt my nerves straighten in a heated rush down my spine. I knew the smell. Not entirely but I could identify it anywhere. The sickly sweet smell that tore my nostrils wide open and put my senses on high alert.

No wonder the chick could move so goddamn well. She was a vampire.

Damn! Not now. I was already here for something important. I didn't have time to play Buffy: Wolf style. I revved my engine as I sped down the highway, my Sun Chips and hunger all forgotten. I couldn't freaking believe it. Here in the most boring, uneventful corner of the States I run into a vampire. What the hell could a vampire be doing up here anyway, taking rainfall surveys?

I had to calm down before I busted a blood vessel or something. I slowed my speed once the first few buildings of La Push came into view but my pulse, abnormally fast, pumped heat all over my body. I wanted to do it right here and now. My wolf was growling and snapping inside and I once again pressed the gas to the floor. It would be better once I finally made it home. I would be able to hold it in and calm myself down once I saw my Sue, Leah and Seth.

But once night fell I would have to get out of this body and let loose of all this energy inside me. I had to look for that vampire. And though I wasn't a killer, my wolf was sure as hell one. She wanted to tear her teeth into granite flesh and rip that female limb from limb. Hear the tormented cries of that blood sucker until they died out into utter silence. I pounded my fist across the steering wheel and hissed. All this damn talk about killing wasn't helping at all.

When I turned into the driveway of my childhood home, the vampire was all forgotten. In a matter of seconds I had pushed it from my mind and tried to concentrate on the present. I smiled seeing the familiar small brick house. This was the one place in the world that didn't seem to be corrupted because within those four walls the best memories of my life were created. I didn't have to hide who I was here; I could shed off my layers and be who I really was.

My eyes flickered to a movement out the corner of my eye. An older man with long black hair that laid upon his shoulders in all its glossy glory smiled at me. Wrinkles appeared around his dark eyes more so than I remember, but I instantly knew who he was. I would know Billy Black anywhere, even if I was blindfolded and deaf. My eyes fleeted to his wheelchair and I cringed. I hated seeing my dad's best friend like that. I could still remember when he walked around, running after Jake when he got to close to an incoming tide.

"You've sprouted up like a weed, Naomi. How old are you now? 30." Billy smiled once I mustered up enough guts to get out the jeep. I smiled and switched my bag of groceries to my hip.

"Yeah thirty sounds about right. Give or take a few years." I tapped my chin like I really was thinking about my age. Sometimes I did fell a little old.

"Well this is one heck of a welcome committee. I guess they really didn't want me back up here." Billy was the only one out here and mind you I felt a little neglected. But hell I didn't much care, Billy and I could have a ball all by ourselves. That's how much I loved the guy.

"You know that's not true. Sue's been driving herself crazy trying to put your surprise party together." Billy laughed and rolled up behind as I neared the front door.

"Not much of surprise anymore, huh?" I quirked an eyebrow at him, though I was mentally praising him for telling me about this "party" before hand. I really didn't care for surprises. It was just one of those things. I rather you'd tell me "Hey I'm throwing you a little shindig this weekend", rather than just springing one on me.

"Oh, I figured I'd just give you a heads up. My gift to you." I shook my head with a chuckle and unlocked the door to let us in. I stepped into the foyer and immediately felt at home. I took in the dark wood floors and colorful tribal rugs. The smell was just like I remembered. Spicy potpourri, a bone-dry fireplace and a hint of sawdust. Nostalgia hit my like a freaking runaway train. My clouded thoughts faded as Billy rolled in behind me.

"Sue cleaned up a bit for you, but everything's the same." His voice was low and he looked around the place same as me. "How've you been holding up?"

"Now Billy..." I really didn't want to talk about this now. He cut me off with a frown and his russet hand rose. "Naomi, you don't have to pretend with me. You're allowed to grieve in your own way but you don't have to put up a show like all is fine. We are here for you." His wrinkled hand squeezed mine and I held on before I carefully pulled back. His hand was colder than mine, like all _normal_ people.

"How's Sue?" I tried to change the route of this conversation and headed to put up my food.

"She's strong. If she's hurting she isn't letting on that she is. Leah and Seth are coping in their own way." The way he said that last part made me pause after placing a box of cereal in the cabinet. _In their own way. _That didn't sound very good. I just hope they were doing better than me. I took to the bottle for three days straight and didn't emerge from my room in over a week. In theory it should have alleviated some of my pain but I just ended up feeling shittier than before. _Change the subject._ _Now._

"Oh..." I said, starting to put up the rest of my food. It seemed like I could eat food faster than I could put it away. "So when is this lil' party going down?" I turned around to lean against the counter with my arms on either side of me.

Billy chuckled and glanced over at me with an amused expression. "Whenever you show up, doll."

….

After Billy told me that Sue was having the party at her house, I decided we could walk over. Partly because driving the relatively short distance was stupid and a waste of gas (I do care about the environment), but also because walking put me at ease. It was the closest I could get to running at this point so I had to deal. Billy didn't seem to mind either. We chit chatted the whole way, gotten in a few good laughs at Jacob's expense. Billy told me he hadn't changed much since when I stopped coming up on summer breaks. I wanted to see the little mop headed boy and how well he turned out.

I remembered when he followed me and Leah around like a freaking lost puppy. He was 2 years younger than us and Leah saw him as an aggravation but put up with him. His sisters were too old to play with him, so when Quil and Embry couldn't play he was stuck with us. I actually like the boy, and I knew Leah did too, though she'd never admit it.

"You sure there's no way to get out of this?" I asked as we walked up the drive of my aunt's house. Billy shook his head and chuckled. "Afraid not. Sue would kill you and me both if we tried escaping."

"We can take her." I said seriously. Billy only cracked up more, I missed his laugh.

"Nah, I don't think I can agree to that."

I sighed and ringed the doorbell; I could already hear about 30 voices behind the door. _Why, Jesus? Whyyyy? _

I heard quick footsteps to the door, they were light and excited. I knew it was Sue. Who else could it be that was this excited to see me, a person that damn near abandoned this place for four years? I counted the seconds off in my head and planted a smile on my face. 5, 4, 3, 2…

"Naomi?" Sue looked at me with wide eyes then I felt her arms wrap around me. A genuine smile crossed my face as hugged her back, I was sure I was near choking her and she didn't seem to notice or care. I couldn't believe I even joked about backing out. I needed to be her with my family; it was only fair to them and me.

"Hey Aunt Sue." I pulled back from my arms, remembering how hot I felt to normal humans. It was sad that I couldn't even be around my family without still hiding from them. The height could be explained, "Oh just a growth spurt", but I couldn't explain the heat. Who the hell runs a fever in June?

"Gosh... you've grown so much." She stepped back and took me in. I was a little wary of what she might be seeing. My hair was surely in its unruly state, but I had somewhat tamed it in a bun. My clothes were a different subject all together. My cropped tank top was showing more skin than what was appropriate; my old high-waist black jeans were a little tight showing how much weight I had gained in my ass. And I was sure my face looked like shit too.

I took Sue in too. Though her face was smiling and she seemed happy to see me, you can tell she was hurting inside. Maybe no one else saw but I could, there were dark circles under her eyes that were invisible to the human eye. And her shoulders slumped down a bit, not in defeat but more in restlessness.

"Did you find the house alright? You didn't have any trouble did you?" Sue went straight into her mothering role. _Like I really needed another one of those._ My mom and Sue were like the same person when it came to their children and other people's children for that matter. Worry warts to the death of them, I tell you. Sometimes I thought they were the siblings and not my dad and Sue.

"Sue, the girl hasn't been gone that long." Billy wheeled into the house with me following. I laughed as she swatted his shoulder with a dish towel she'd been holding.

"Oh hold on there lady. Don't make me get out this chair." Billy said in a playful tone which only made Sue laugh. "You're just a bunch of talk old man." Sue threw back with her hands on her hips. They both went in the direction of the kitchen, I was tempted to follow them. It smelled so freaking good in here; all I wanted to do was eat till my stomach burst.

"The kids are in the living room. Go on and say hi." Sue said as she saw me taking steps toward the archway that led to the kitchen. Damn it.

"Oh… Sue?" I tried stuffing my hands in my pockets but my jeans were too fucking tight. I left them limply at my sides.

"Yeah, hun?"

"I'm sorry about Uncle Harry." I mustered up enough strength to look her in the eyes. She stared back at me before sadly nodding.

"We all are."


	2. Chapter 2

**This is coming out so much later than I wanted it. I'm sorry once again. I'll save the excuses because I know you guys are tired of them. Chapter 2 is sort of a filler(sucks i know). But I'll try to make chapter 3 insanely juicy for you guys. Special thanks to all the reviewers, favorites, and readers of the first chapter. I'll make sure to shout all you guys out next update. :)**

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><p>I popped my head around the corner half expecting the same guys stuck in my memories. They were the same, considering they were lounging around watching reruns of <em>Rob and Big<em>, but like everything else in my life they had changed.

Muscle ,that is how I would describe them. You would think I was seeing the break room at a body building competition, minus all the douche complexes and fake tans, instead of Sue's living room. But low and behold it was just the boys. Their ponytails were gone and all traces of adolescence were out the window.

"Take a picture, it lasts longer." My observation was cut short when Paul opened his mouth. That boy could ruin any mood with those yapping lips of his. I rolled my eyes but ran a quick gaze over him. He was lounging on the love seat by himself, feet hanging off the arm rest. He had on an undershirt that left his toned arms out. His face was spread in its famous smirk. Even if Paul was a class A asshole, he had it going on. He was fine as hell but trouble all the same.

"I doubt you last long in anything, Paul." I snipped back followed by the guffaws by Quil, Embry, and Jared.

"And I'll be more than happy to prove you wrong." Paul winked back. I rolled my eyes and couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

"You haven't changed, other than the obvious." I shook my head at him and he smiled back.

"Same to you." Paul smirked again and I thanked God I couldn't read minds.

"Anywho." I turned away from Paul to give Quil and Embry a quick dap, and flick Jared's ear.

"What's been up with you guys?" I pushed Paul's feet aside and seated my self on the sofa. I disregarded his grumble and leaned my head back on the sofa.

"Nothing much, just hanging out." Quil jumped his shoulders. He was the biggest out of the bunch. Not in height so much, but in weight. He was a lot stockier than he was four years ago. Looking over them again, my mind start to turn wheels and possibilities began to surface. I wasn't sure but I couldn't help but think maybe the boys had "changed" also. It was silly of me to consider this so early on when they only present one "symptom". I had been a wolf for almost two years and I still wasn't clear on all that came with it.

"How you been?" Embry spoke up. I quirked an eyebrow at this, Embry wasn't really a talker. Or maybe it was the outspoken nature of the guys that made him seem quieter than he really was. I smiled faintly.

"Good. One day at a time, I guess." My smile became strained as I felt heat crawl up my spine. It was a reflex whenever some mentioned my dad or asked how I was doing. My wolf was restless and I couldn't blame her. I was hungry for the truth also. But I had to keep my intentions under wraps for awhile, before I started poking around.

"We're missing a few people." I noted mostly to myself but that didn't stop Paul from commenting. _Shocking!_

"You're not that popular anymore, sweet cakes." I gave him a glare and he chuckled.

"Jake and Seth are running errands for Sue. And Emily will be over in a bit."

"With her double chocolate chip muffins." Quil whopped followed by a high five with Embry.

Jared snorted. "I bet she brings blueberry." He sighed dreamily from the floor and I couldn't help laughing at the immaturity that revolved around the prospect of food. But my stomach growled loudly in spite of this and Paul smirked.

"I haven't had anything to eat all day." I shrugged. That damn vampire really screwed up my snack break. I still wanted to know why the hell she was up here.

"Me neither." Quil grumbled and patted his stomach. Jared sat up and snorted. "Liar. You ate like 7 biscuits this morning."

"Ten." Embry corrected.

"That was at eight. Its time to eat again." Quil frowned.

Jared shook his head. "And you wonder why you can't run from here to the hallway without giving out of breath. You seriously need to get away from the table, dude."

"You are getting a bit slow." Embry said somewhat reluctantly.

"Quil isn't that big, Jared." I felt the need to intervene. I didn't like the way Jared was chewing into Quil about his weight. Quil had always been a little chubby but now muscles replaced his baby fat. Jared sounded like a little stuck up girl riding on Quil like that.

Jared threw me a glance that seemed to say, _look who's talking, _but I know he wasn't crazy enough to say that crap out loud. He valued his face too much. Seeing my glare, Jared kept his lips shut and went back to lying on the floor.

As things chilled down for a bit and another _Rob and Big_ episode trekked by, I made myself comfortable on the couch. I was surrounded by my crew, well at least half, and I felt pretty good. I still had yet to see Leah, and the guys didn't mention her at all. I wasn't sure how to take that. Something was wrong.

Leah and I were like two peas in a pod or any other clichéd idiom you want to use to describe our relationship. We were alike in a lot of ways but we still had our own identities. She was outspoken, stood up for herself, and didn't mind a little trash talking now and then. She didn't have a problem stating her opinions, but she wasn't opinionated. Nothing could bring that girl down.

Unknowingly I had dozed off for a bit, and woke up when I heard new voices in the house. I looked over to see Paul sunk down in the couch with his mouth open. He was propelling a mean snore, and I was surprised I wasn't awoken earlier just by the noise he was making.

" Naomi!" My head snapped around to the call of my name and I was immediately out of my seat. Paul snoring stopped and he looked around as if something was about to pop off, but once he saw who it was he rolled back over.

"Seth." I ran over to Seth in a flash, wrapping my arms around him with all my might. He was taller, much taller. I was able to get over the other guys growth spurt, but Seth was different. You can't compare a little scrawny twelve year old with the brawny teenager that I was hugging currently. _Ha! Scrawny Brawny. It rhymes. _I remembered babysitting Seth since he was about six; he was always a very happy child. He had a goofy little grin and dimples that could get him out of anything.

While most boys his age would have been playing with toy trucks and throwing dirt on girls, Seth always had one thing he wanted to do. He always wanted to go to the beach. His love of the ocean was uncanny. When he was too young to go off on his own, Harry would take him down to the tide pools. Sue always got worried when he got to close, like he was really going to drown in a foot of water.

"Look at you!" I step back to get a good look at him. His cheeks were raised and those dimples were making their appearance. "You've grown, squirt." He laughed at my astonishment.

"I can say the same."I rolled my eyes and laughed.

"So how's school and stuff? Good grades, right?" Seth looked amused by my question then nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be a junior this fall." _Okay, now I really feel old._

"You're lying!" Seth shook his head, grinning from ear to ear.

"I've missed a lot." I said mostly to myself and Seth picked up on my change in attitude. He patted my shoulder in unspoken reassurance, but I still felt kind of bad.

"Oh, gotta go. Here comes your biggest fan." Seth gave me a wink then went over to get the guys up. I wasn't sure what he was talking about. But when I heard heavy footsteps coming down the hall, I became interested. Aside from the heartbeats thumping in the room, this one was different. It was crazy how my ears picked up on this one in particular. It was calming, the music that the heartbeat made even though it was just a thump-thump rhythm. I turned around ready for this _big fan_ of mine.

Coming into the living room, swallowing up the small archway was a very big guy. My eyes looked over his weathered boots, dark wash jeans and fitted gray short sleeve. He stopped short about 5 feet away from me and I was sure he was looking me over too. Moving up from his insanely muscular upper body, I moved up to his face. He had a slight chin dimple that lived right under nice pink lips.

"So I guess you're all out of hugs, right?" I snapped out of it before I was able to analyze the rest of his face and smiled. It was a little bit huskier, but it was Jake's voice.

"Nah, I still got one left." I closed the distance between us and felt him take me up into his arms. He was hot. _Besides the obvious, I mean physically hot. Gosh why do I feel the need to edit my thoughts?_ I was so used to feeling the normal human temperature that I was shocked at how warm Jake was.

"I'm glad you're back, Omi." I chuckled and kissed the side of his face. Jake was the only person in the world who called me Omi. When he was three he couldn't pronounce Naomi, so Omi was the next best thing. I still laughed about it sometimes.

He twirled us around once, and then set me back on my feet. I usually wasn't one for those types of couple like, giddy moments but I was pretty happy to see Jacob.

" Damn, Jake. I've got to give it to you, you look good." I smiled, stepping away to get another look at his body. I smiled brighter as I met his eyes. They were still dark as ever, but they had a new light to them. A very weird light if I should say so. _Okay now this was just creepy!_

The light in his eyes got brighter and I couldn't help but feel some sort of pull towards them. Jake was staring at me like I was the only person in the room. His mouth was open a bit and a slight hiccup sound came out. His heart rate picked up enormously and I patted his arm to keep him from having a heart attack. This only seemed to make things worse as his heart started to beat faster than the wings of a hummingbird.

"Seth! Something's wrong with Jake." I looked back at Seth who was standing there frozen too. He snapped out of it once he heard me call his name, a dark blush covered his whole face.

I turned back to Jake and he was still in a weird trance. I was damn near shaking his arm out of the socket by now, but he still wouldn't budge. I let my eyes lock with his for a moment but they only bore back into mine. He still didn't budge.

"Jake. Jake." Seth patted his shoulder and then snapped his fingers in front of Jakes face a few times. I could see Seth was trying to stay calm but he was getting flustered.

"Hey, what's going on?" Paul stirred awake and looked around.

"Jake's a little… zoned out." Seth flushed again and this time my nosiness got the best of me.

"Does he do this all the time? What's wrong with him? Does he have some kinda condition?" My voice had raised an octave and I looked around for answers. This was some weird stuff especially coming from Jacob. He didn't seem like the type of guy to zone in and out of reality like this.

"Coming through!" Paul pushed through me and Seth, making a clear path to Jacob. He looked him over once, and then sighed almost pitifully. "Quil come take your cousin for some fresh air. Embry and Seth, go with him."

Amazingly the boys got up with no complaint. I watched them haul Jacob away, his eyes still locked on me. I wasn't sure why, but I felt as if I should be helping him. Not them.

Once I heard them leave, I turned back to Paul who was fluffing the couch pillows. "What the hell was that?" I crossed my arms in front of my chest to keep them from shaking. I was usually calm under pressure, but now my nerves were acting up. Being agitated gave my wolf enough reason to start stirring. The last thing I wanted to do was phase under Sue's roof.

"Don't worry he'll be fine." He threw over his shoulder nonchalantly. Wrong thing for him to do since I was in a good position to kick him in the ass.

"He'llbe_ fine._ That was some real freaky shit, Paul. Does this kind of thing happen all the time?" I thumped him on the side of the head. "Should I be prepared for the next "episode"?"

"You're going to need a lot of preparing for what's coming your way, sweet cakes." Paul brushed off the snort from Jared, who still was occupying the floor. "How about we go with something like, _Jake is really glad to see you_. Does that do the trick?" Paul winked and my confusion for Jacob turned into annoyance for Paul. I swear this boy got on my damn nerves. He couldn't be serious for one damn minute.

"Why can't you give me one straight answer?" I shifted my weight to my right leg and waited. Paul ignored me and glanced around. I watched as his eyes landed on the gold clock that sat above the fireplace.

"Hmm. Leah should be waking up from hibernation by now. Go up and see her, but be careful she's snappy." He smirked but I knew that he was being truthful for some reason. But you never knew about Paul. I took his advice readily, no one had brought Leah up at all today and I wanted to see her. I gave him a heated glare before I was out in the main hallway again, making my way to Leah's room.

The door was closed. It was white like every other door in the house. The only difference was the worn stickers that spelled out her name, plastered against the wood. I smoothed out the corner of the "L" that was lifting. It only stayed for two seconds before it popped back up again. I could've stood there all day, smoothing that corner over and over.

I shook my head and quickly knocked on the door before I actually considered my previous thought. I had to keep my head clear. It was the only thing I had left that I could control, but even now it seemed like it would wander off on its own.

"Just come in, Naomi."

I twisted the knob and let myself in.

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><p><strong>Please give me your feedback. I know Jacob's part was like so small, nearly nonexistent, but he will definitely have some big parts coming up soon. How do you guys think Leah and Naomi are going to react to each other? Give me your feedback because I love it, good or bad.<strong>

** Hugs and Love, Glo**


	3. Chapter 3

**Its been a long time coming. Sorry this is so horribly late, school is hectic and life is just...**

**Thanks for all the reviews and favorites, I love you guys. Hope you enjoy this chapter. **

It is easy to assume that one would be sad and closed off when faced with their old family again, especially after the occurrence of two tragic deaths. But I guess I wasn't like that. I never was. My dad wouldn't want me isolating myself and wallowing in my own self pity. Yes I was deeply hurt by the passing of my father and favorite uncle, but I was coping. Slapping a smile on my face and cracking a few laughs was what I needed, and what my father would want.

My problem was that maybe I wasn't grieving right. There isn't a go to pocket guide on how to grieve, but I still felt I was doing it wrong somehow. I never really broke down. There was only the initial shock, the following rage, and a brief stint with my mom's stash of vodka. Not that catastrophic, like I thought it would be.

Maybe I was stashing it away unknowingly. In a place that I didn't know existed or where it was located. It was like a switch. I could think of my father and uncle but somehow it would stop. Like a savings account I was stashing my emotions away, building upon an unstable stack of explosives that would one day implode, and taking me along with it.

I saw the same thing in Leah. She was taller than when I seen her last. Her long hair was chopped into a boyish style that showed of her flawless bone structure. She wore a plain gray tank top and jean shorts. Her face was somewhat gaunt but it was still her in some form.

"You're the only person who would knock before entering. I hate when people forget that." She shakes her head, laughing shortly. I watch her with eyes that weren't my own. My senses take her in, analyzing the stiffness in her shoulders and back and the lack of light in her dark eyes. Her nails are chewed down to stubs, red and ripped from constant assault. She pulls on a pair of old Converse and looks at me.

"What?" She snaps but smiles a bit. I shake my head with my fingers on my lips. "You look good."

Leah shakes her head and smirks. "I would say thank you but I think you're lying."

I roll my eyes. "Excuse me for giving you a compliment. Not that you need any, seeing your ego probably hasn't taking any blows lately."

Leah looks at me then turns to the wall. "You don't know how wrong you are." She sighed and I felt bad for what I had said, and then confused. I was used to bullshitting with Leah because we both knew it wasn't serious. But seeing her reaction, I was a bit worried.

"What's going on?" I ask, bringing myself up into a sitting position. Leah shakes her head again and I remembered how much I hated how stubborn she could be.

" Nothing." Leah shrugs. "Come on, I'm hungry as fuck." She leaves the room in too much of a hurry and I look after her briefly before following.

"Leah!" I call down the hallway. I shake my head and think about choking my best friend.

The backyard's full of people eating, drinking, and playing around. Quil scoffing down anything his hands can get to. I spot Colin and Brady, who I haven't seen since they were six, wrestling while Paul and Jared hoot them on. My kindergarten teacher, Ms. Stonecliff, is strumming a tune on her guitar. Sue had outdone herself again.

I look around for Leah and spot her under the big oak tree next to the back fence. She's holding a plate piled with food and sips on a frosty can of soda. She looks up over her plate and rolls her eyes; I flick my middle finger and smile back. She shakes her head and laughs.

I stalk Quil down, who has joined the audience for the fight between Colin and Brady. I tap his big shoulder and he turns around, his eyes bugging a bit.

"So where's Jake?" I ask, Quil is the only one who returned from going off with Jacob.

"Oh Seth and Embry walked him home, think he had something bad for dinner last night." Quil laughed but I could hear the quickened pace of his heart. He was lying and very bad at it.

"Hmm. I hope he feels better." I hug my torso then look up at Quil. "Maybe I'll go see him later."

Quil's eyes nearly popped from his head as he took in what I said. "No no, he was pretty messed up. He probably shouldn't have any visitors." I eye him up and down. Quil was one shitty liar.

"Alright." I jump my shoulders. Quil quickly sighs and I see the sweat that had broken out on his forehead.

For the second time today, my guard was up. Something was wrong with Jacob and clearly it was bad enough that Quil lied to me to cover things up. I go over to the food table and pick up anything that looks even discreetly edible. The gathering edges well into the night. The stars peek out from behind the clouds and cool air rolls in. Seth and Embry return like this afternoon didn't happen. Mrs. Stonecliff strums and sings an old native song that adds a perfect background to the evening.

"Sue, sit down. Let us clean up." I fuss and take the empty platters from my aunt's hands. The party was over and only the boys linger, snatching up leftovers.

Sue sits down with out protest and sighs deeply. Her eyes close and she leans her head against the back of the chair. I pass the platters to Seth, who gives a sad glance to his mother.

"You're leaving." She states with her eyes closed.

"Yes, I have a few things I need to attend to." My mind mulls over the redheaded vampire and her threatening grin. I rub Sue's knee and look at her strong hands that she had worked all her life.

"Get some rest tonight. I don't want Seth telling me you spent the night cleaning up."

Sue smiles and opens her eyes. "You sound like Jackie." I laugh; no one had ever compared me to my mother other than our resemblance.

"What's happening to the world?" I exclaim in mock horror, grasping my hair. Sue laughs in ringing bells I haven't heard in forever.

"Go on home, Naomi."She pats my hand and I stand up to embrace her. "See you later." I kiss her cheek then walk off to the front yard. Leah catches me before I leave, tugging my hair and promising to meet me at my dad's store tomorrow.

As soon as my feet touch the asphalt of the road, I think of the vampire. My mind becomes consumed with visions of the fiery beauty and viciousness of her smirk swirling with the faces of my dead fther and uncle. My wolf growls a slow sound that turns my stomach and my breathing becomes hitched. My pace picks up until I'm running through the streets, wind wiping my hair dampened by the humidity that promises rain. My mind was bound to explode and I need to rid myself of the cruel images and let the wolf take over.

I cut through Black Creek lane and head toward the woods that surround the reservation. Trees past quickly and fire burns in my veins. My senses waver in strength and only changing will steady it. My back curls, ready for the lurch that would set me free. Then from nowhere something grabs my waist, hot and strong, slamming me into a hard chest. My wolf howls in protest.

"What the hell are you doing?" he yells. I push away from Paul and ignore his question. My heartbeat slows and the fire cools. Paul was very close to getting his stupid head ripped off.

"Taking a short cut." I shrug and start to walk away. Paul pulls me back.

"Last I checked your house is that way." He pointed west; with a scowl so deeply set, you would think I insulted his grandmother.

That's why I disliked Paul; he always found a way to mess up my plans.

I snatch way from him. "Since you want to question me, what are you doing out here?"

He rolls his eyes, arrogant ass. "That's none of your business. Get home." His order shocked me, but anger took over and pushed it out the way.

"What the hell are you, forest patrol?" I glare and he laughs as if there is a joke I'm not privy to. My hands begin to shake and I walk away, clasping my hands to my chest to stop the trembling.

"Just go home." He shook his head. "Please." I paused at the sincerity in his voice. Paul Lahote never pleaded. Not even in fifth grade when Kevin Hawk pinned him down in a headlock so hard he had bruises for a month. Nor when Katie Pearson refused to date him.

I rub my eyes and still the shaking wolf. "I just needed to burn some steam off."

Paul's shoulders slump and he sighs. "Its pitch black, it's not safe to be running around here."

I shake my head and walk back towards him. "Paul we ran these woods as kids a thousand times, now you tell me it's not safe. What the hell has changed since I left?" La Push was the safest place on earth in my eyes. Quiletes were good-natured people and rarely had trouble like the big cities.

Paul looks out into the woods and his eyes darken from eh cast of the trees. "A shitload of stuff has changed. But can you please just go home tonight."

I shake my head and give in. "Fine." I trudge up through the brush.

"Welcome back." I hear the sound as faint as a hallucination. I turn back but Paul's gone; only his scent remains among the spot where he stood.

I gather the little remnants of my mind and head home. I didn't know why Paul was in the woods but some part of me was glad he was. I hadn't been home for a full day before I was willing to put myself in danger by tracking a bloodsucker. The vampire was probably long gone anyway. And if she wasn't then I was sure to run into her.

I cut through the brush and turn on to my street. The night is alive with chirping crickets from Moon Creek, the buzz of the moths around glowing street lights, and the hum of chatter coming from houses along my street.

I pull the front door closed behind me and stare at the suitcases have yet to unpack. I laugh out loud at the pile of bags and overstep them to get to the kitchen. I rummage the cabinets looking for the bottle that I needed.

I fist the brown bottle and tear off the cap. I take a long swig and grit a smile at the burn of liquor down my throat. Before my throat could take a break, I throw another shot down my throat. My high temperature worked against me so it took more alcohol to get buzzed.

My legs walk me to the door and I stare out at the sky. The street lights brighten and I see his dark hair everywhere. His eyes are in my eyes and I will them away with another drink. His voice calls out and I refuse to answer, my legs stagger to the porch.

I thought coming here would cure me, stave off the guilt and hurt I felt at every waking moment. But La Push only heightened it. Sue, Leah, Seth, the house, the store, it all reminded me of him. Everywhere I looked I saw my father.

I sigh and drown another sorrow.

**Thanks for reading. Hit me up with reviews or PMs for what you want to see in the next chapters! **

**XOXO Glo**


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